Frequently asked questions

It is the structured use of a focused-attention state, a natural variation of consciousness, whose aim is to support change (managing pain, anxiety, habits…). The person stays awake, aware and actively involved throughout the session.

Almost everyone can experience it to some degree. Responsiveness to hypnosis varies widely, though: a minority respond very strongly, another very little, and most people fall in between. It is a measurable, fairly stable trait across life, neither a weakness nor a gift.

No. Hypnosis is not a loss of will: you cannot be forced into it, nor made to act against your values. Responsiveness varies from person to person, and a session can be stopped at any time.

No. No one has ever stayed stuck in hypnosis. It is a state you leave naturally, either by opening your eyes or by briefly drifting into ordinary sleep, from which you then wake up normally.

It depends on the indication, and honesty requires distinguishing the levels of evidence. Pain relief is the best-established effect. Anxiety, especially before a medical procedure, and irritable bowel syndrome are among the most promising areas. For other widely publicised uses, such as quitting smoking or losing weight, the evidence is weaker or uncertain. In every case, hypnosis is meant to complement medical care, never to replace it.

No. Stage hypnosis selects the most responsive, expressive people and relies on showmanship and audience pressure. Therapeutic hypnosis is private, collaborative work led by a professional, with no aim of producing a spectacle.

No. Hypnosis is neither a truth serum nor a reliable way to recover memories. It can even create false memories and increase confidence in them without making them any more accurate. This is why many courts restrict or reject testimony obtained under hypnosis.

Performed by a trained professional, hypnosis is generally safe. Caution applies to certain severe psychiatric conditions (psychosis, dissociation), where it must be medically supervised. When in doubt, ask your doctor.

It varies with the person and the goal. It is not a one-time cure: several sessions are often needed, and the effect also depends on practice between sessions, such as self-hypnosis.

As a rule, the French statutory health insurance does not cover hypnosis as such, but many complementary insurers (“mutuelles”) offer an alternative-medicine allowance covering a few sessions a year. A session often costs between €45 and €85. These terms change, so check with your health insurance fund and your complementary insurer.

We favour peer-reviewed publications (scientific journals, meta-analyses, clinical trials) and indicate, wherever possible, the level of evidence and the limitations of each result presented.